William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English Language and the world's per-eminent dramatist. Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were mainly Comedies and histories and these works remain regarded as some the best work produced in these genres even today. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.